Debates of February 17, 2011 (day 41)

Date
February
17
2011
Session
16th Assembly, 5th Session
Day
41
Speaker
Members Present
Mr. Abernethy, Mr. Beaulieu, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Bromley, Hon. Paul Delorey, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. Krutko, Hon. Jackson Lafferty, Hon. Sandy Lee, Hon. Bob McLeod, Hon. Michael McLeod, Hon. Robert McLeod, Mr. Menicoche, Hon. Michael Miltenberger, Mr. Ramsay, Hon. Floyd Roland, Mr. Yakeleya
Topics
Statements

QUESTION 472-16(5): CONTRACTS FOR PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES AT NORTH SLAVE CORRECTIONAL CENTRE

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Getting back to my Member’s statement and I suppose I could ask questions to any one of my colleagues across the floor on the contract registry, but I am going to zero in, if I could, on one item in particular that just is not in that contract registry, Mr. Speaker. It is something that I brought up in this House time and time again and that is the lack of psychiatric services at North Slave Correctional Centre. Mr. Speaker, looking at the contract registry that goes from April 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010, if you look at the Department of Justice, apparently they had a request for proposal of $20,000 to psychiatric services, Doctor Smith, and that would appear to be it. Mr. Speaker, can I ask the Minister if that was the entire budget for psychiatric services for the North Slave Correctional Centre for that period of time? Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have the detailed information with me here, but I can find out from my department exactly where things stand with that particular contract. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, what I am trying to do is come up with some idea of what services are provided to inmates in that centre for that period of time. Mr. Speaker, if they are without a clinical psychologist and the department would apparently... It looks like they spent $20,000 on a contract to one psychiatrist. Is that the limit of psychiatric services that were provided to inmates at the North Slave Correctional Centre for that period of time? I would like to ask the Minister again that question. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, that contract has been awarded to provide those clinical services within the corrections. Again, I would have to get back to the Member on that, but we do provide those services at the corrections to deal with those inmates that require those special services.

As I stated in this House, we do have an individual that is under training. The individual will be completed this summer. She will be a qualified psychologist within a facility. We are looking forward to that, but there is a contract being provided. The services are being provided to the inmates within the corrections. Mr. Speaker, that is what I can relate to the Member at this point, that services are being provided. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, what it appears like to me is that for that period of time there wasn’t a clinical psychologist and it would appear that the department spent $20,000 on a contract to one psychiatrist. Mr. Speaker, we are having repeat violent offenders walking out of that facility, recommitting crimes in our Territory. Mr. Speaker, I want to know how it is possible without a clinical psychologist that the Department of Justice could only spend $20,000 on services to inmates at North Slave Correctional Centre. That is what it looks like, Mr. Speaker. Where is the evidence of any other psychiatric services that were provided to inmates at that facility? I would like the evidence of that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I did commit in the House I will provide that information. Mahsi.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As well, I am not talking about what is going to happen in the future or what is happening right now. I would like to know what is happening right now, too, but this period of time, Mr. Speaker, if we didn’t have adequate services for inmates that were at that centre, which would appear to be the case, I would like to know about that. I would like, again, to get a commitment from the Minister that he is going to include that period of time, April 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010, and if he wants to throw in what is happening today and going forward for psychiatric services in there, I would appreciate that as well. Thank you.

Again, I commit in the House to provide that information, Mr. Speaker. The $20,000 the Member is referring to, the length of time the service was provided, we can provide that information to the Members. Mahsi.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.